In some propeller driven aircraft, a starter motor assembly is used to turn over the piston engine that drives the propeller. The starter motor assembly is generally constructed to provide a certain torque and to operate at a certain RPM in order to successfully start the engine. However, it has been found for many years that certain starter motor assemblies have suffered from a relatively short operating life. This has resulted in relatively high maintenance costs for such aircraft, unforeseen periods of inoperability due to an unexpected failure of the starter motor and drive, and the potential to damage other parts of the aircraft in certain situations. It would be desirable to at least partially resolve these problems.